Whistle-blowers Accuse FAA of Being Too Cozy with Airlines

In recent weeks, airlines have canceled flights and pulled planes out of service to make sure safety checks are being properly performed. This comes in the aftermath of reports by two FAA inspectors who say their supervisors were "too cozy" with Southwest Airlines. Those whistle-blowers testified today before a committee chaired by Congressman James Oberstar. The Minnesota Democrat accused the FAA of "complacency, cozy relations with airlines and inappropriate reliance on voluntary disclosure." Mike Boyd is president of the Boyd Group, an aviation consulting research firm based in Evergreen, Colorado.

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